Method of treating liquid matte



Aug. 15, 1933. T. M. KEKICH METHOD OF TREATING LIQUID MATTE Filed Aug. 26, 1929 VIII/ll,

l i al I mmz 25 costs incident to transportation of theraw ore ing the manner of progression of the method,

Patented Auala leas 1,922,301

l u v H 1 922,30 1

2, METHODOF TREATING LIQUkI) MATTE "lhom' a's M. Kekich, Los AngIHl, Calif. i ApplicationAugustZG, 192 9. Serialflio f388A04 H 4 (01. 75-452) hi nv n a s to a method of s t g methodspthus effecting a'maximum recovery of and particularly pertains toa method of treatthe metal. i i r m quidtmat n the refining of sll phite ores Another object is topprovide a method of treat- Su h pp randglead; the invention more ing "mattewhereby theintroduction into the 5 spe al yi e at o a me hod o ffecting t matte of reactive agentsxis accomplished insuch removalfof slag from melted sulphide ores by fashion as (to largely obviate the use of linings 0 h n u n 0 n v m t d m of reactivecharacter in the converting apparatus ria s i t amass of moltel oreorliquidma te employed thereby increasing the life of conas set forth in my copending application for verters: i v i i United States patenton a converting, furnace Withthe' foregoingobjectsin view, together 65 V filed December 31, 1921, Serial Number2 43,960, with suchother objects andadvantages asmay h t d in o P e ,774,486. subsequently appear, my invention resides in the I An objectof my invention is to providea features and ,steps hereinafter described and method of, treating melted sulphide ores whereby claimed; the method and, a means'for carrying the formation and removal ofslag maybefictitinto effect being illustrated in the accompa y- 7 "ed inasingle operation at a minimum of exingdrawing in which: 1 l i v pense and insuoh an-n t obv elt e use Fig.1 is a view in section of a converter fur- Of a par t Costly ins a l, m int in and OD- mace, and its associatedblast furnace, as adapted crate,thereby enabling the smeltingofjsulphide t effectuate my method; mo i localitiesremote o t e usual melt ne Fig. 2 isa diagrammatic view in, section illus- Pl an W R E p ssib e. the. economical trating the manner of introducing air and com reduction ofsu p de ores, e pecial y ow g a uminuted solids into the liquid matte in the con- ,sulphidefores, where itisnow unprofitable to verter; i i 1 Wo k the ore deposi b of t p v Figs. 3 and 4 are diagramsin section illustratto e e sa I uThe present method contemplates the initial Anoth r O je t s. -p v e method f meltingsof a sulphide ore to convert it into a i Smemng in which su phid r nde a liquid matte which is efiected in the usual mannt m y bereadily conditioned to facilitate nor as by subjectingthe oreto the action of a 9 paration of, the metal and slag constituents, melting temperature in a blast furnace A. This by the addition to the melted ore ofreactive submelted ore or liquid matte, consisting of the s n lacking in t e faw under t me t usual metallic constituents of the ore such as e d necessary to afl o d 3 P p r m x ure b copper, iron, lead, tin, gold, silver, arsenic, anti- S a i e e e en i l o effect smelting. mony, and etc, together with associateduim- 35 such a 8,, S ph I iI d m 3 purities, such as sulphur, silica and so forth, is ,whereby air, get with a f lCaIT delivered from the furnace into a receptacle B; fl lp may be ro u d i i the receptacle being of the character of a con- Ore ,t ma a n a lfusion emp ratu m verting furnace having the usual bottom, side -du ing conversion thereof. and top walls enclosing achamber C. The top 40 Anot e Obj is t provide a m ho of @011- wall of a the receptacle B is formed with an inlet v tins m l d s lp id o e r q id matte into opening D through ,which charges of melted ore metal an s vwhereby concentrates, and ot e or matte are delivered to the chamber 0 and the fines may me t during th ODY S 3 side wall of the receptacle is provided with the u (101118 away with v b y m tusual vertically adjustable 1 draw-oil spouts E 45 i as now common y pr cticed me g O es and F; the spout E serving as a means for effect- 1 o fine for treatment n, the b st furnace. f ing discharge of slag andthe spout F serving as Ano obje t is to P v a p ce s of a means for evacuating the metal in the manner Verting' a te :where y t e. co t of power is a common in convertingfurnace operations. greatly reduced over present methods and where- In carrying out my present method an initial by the sintering, ICE- rting and recharge of melted sulphide ore or liquid matte verberatory departments now generally emis delivered from the furnace A directly into the ployedinsmelting operations are dispensed with. receptacle B; the charge being of suitable vol-' Another object is to provide a vmethod ofcon-f nine and filling the receptacle B to a desired verting matte'wherebya cleanvvaste or slag is level: This charge of melted ore or liquid produced, which not possible with present matte consistsof the usual metalandslag con:

stituents, which on delivery of the charge to the receptacle B are caused to separate, at least in part, by the heavier metal content of the charge settling by gravity to the bottom of the melted mass and the lighter slags rising and floating on the surface of the matte. The slags initially formed in the furnace and delivered to the receptacle B being usually of a volume considerably in excess of the volume of the associated melted metal which will readily separate therefrom, a quantity of this produced slag is initially drawn from the receptacle B through the take-off spout E previously adjusted to the proper level, in the usual manner.

Additional charges of the melted ore or matte may be delivered to the receptacle B to increase the volume of the melted mass within the latter if desired; the excess formed slag being withdrawn from time to time.

The essence of the present invention resides in introducing streams of air together with! either pulverulent solid reactive agents, or comminuted fuel, or both downwardly into the melted matte in the receptacle B at points beneath and proximate to the floating body of slag G apart therefrom and contiguous the surface H'of the lighter portions J of the melted matte and remote from the heavier portions -K of the melted metal located at the bottom of the melted mass; and in directing the incoming streams of air with the associated solid particles.

downwardly into the upper portion of the melted matte beneath the slag. This is effected as here shown by providing vertically adjustable tubes L, the lower end portions of which are passed through the body of slag G and are positioned with their terminals extending immediately below the surface H of the liquid matte thatlies immediately below the floating body of slag.

The upper ends ofthe tubes L are connected to a suitable controlled source of air supply under pressure through a conduit M, and, as a means for delivering granular solid materials into the air streams emitted through the tubes L, one or more feed hoppers N are arranged with their outlets leading into the conduit M through regulating valves 0, through which hoppers the granular material is introducedintothe air line in regulated quantities.

The air is delivered under pressure into the such granular particles as to bring about fur-v ther separation of the 'slag and metal- The air stream being directed downwardly into the melted matte penetrates the latter but a short distance and such of the air as is not consumed in the downward travel is directed upwardly through the upper and lighter portion of the matte thus effecting a thorough actionthereon; the down stream coupled with the upstream causing such agitation of the lighter body of the mass as to insure thorough intermixture with this portion of the mass of the air and its associated materials. The volume of air thus introduced into the matte, is

smelting thereof.

sufficient to Bessermerize or convert the matte and accordingly is also sufficient to agitate the upper part of the bath to maintain regulated combustion within the bath in order to keep the bath in a sufficiently fluid state.

The solid particles introduced into the melted matte together with the stream of air vary in character according to the nature of the melted matte under treatment; it being. contemplated to supply to the matte the substances normally g5 lacking in the ore and necessary to effect proper For example, in the treatment of melted sulphide ores in which there is an insufficiently or proper proportion of silicates in order to effect the desired combination of silica and iron oxide a comminuted ilicious material such as gold ore rich in silica is directed into the melted matte with the air, whereby the silica is utilized and thegold added to the metal content of the matte. 7

Where the ore contains an excess of silicious material iron oxide is delivered with the air to the melted matte, and where the ore contains insufficient sulphur or carbon these materials are added with the stream of air thus supplying fuel which in the presence of the air and the high temperatures of the melted matte will combust thereby developing further heat necessary toeffect-melting' and separation of metals from the matte. In like manner concentrates 5 or fines containing minute metal particles may be introduced into the melted mass to effect recovery of such-metal thus enabling the smeltof such fines and concentrates together with the melted ore which can not ordinarily be ac- 1 complished by means of a blast furnace, such concentrates and fines being ordinarily treated in reverberatory furnaces. By this method of introducing fine particles into the melted matte flue dust or other fine refuse containing valuable metal particles -may be delivered to the melted matte, which in the case of fluedust containing a large proportion of carbon such "dust will. be used to supply additional fuel to their lower ends in their proper projected position beneath the surface of the liquid matte and above the body of separated melted metal as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 in which Fig. 3

shows an initial charge and Fig. 4 illustrates the charge as increased by the addition of metals through the tubes L. It being essential to maintain the lower ends of the tubes within the zone immediately underlying the slag and above the body of separated metal, the tubes are either raised or loweredfrom time to time as occasion may require; being raised as the level of the mass rises, as above stated, and being lowered when the level is lowered as when drawing off the separated metal. 7

The invention is especially applicable for use in the treatment 'of melted copper matte and is particularly valuable in the treatment of low grade copper ore, it rendering possible the treatment of matte to effect separation ofthe metals and slags by the introduction into the melted matte of sufhcient air to effect combustion of the fuel constituents thereof and add fuel thereto where required as well as to add reactive agentssuch as silica. to effect Bessemerizing or converting thereof as above set forth.

The method is also applicable for use in the treatment of lead matte to effect separation of the constituents thereof.

Such matte carries iron and sulphide lead and being a sulphide ore is subject to being treated to effect conversion and Bessemerization thereof by the method previously set forth whereby such air as is needed to maintain combustion is sup-- plied to the matte together with silica or other flux material for forming the slag, as well as the addition of carbon or other fuel where additional fuel is required.

In the treatment of the sulphide ore to effect conversion thereof by the method herein set forth any desired material ordinarily employed in converting, Bessemerizing and smelting operations may be added to the bath with the incoming air stream as occasion may require. The silica and carbon employed may be of any suitable character, but where gold or other metallic ores are available which contain the required silica and carbon, such ore in a comminuted form may be fed to the matte with the air stream thereby not only supplying the silica and carbon but adding to the recoverable metal of the matte under treatment.

By directing the stream of air downwardly into the melted matte as specified, only that portion of the matte is acted upon as is necessary and agitation of the settled heavier portions of the metal is avoided which is important in that it obviates the readmixture of the previously separated metals with the body of matte superimposed thereon and thereby insures the formation of a clean slag and enables the recovery of substantially all of the metal content of the matte.

The required temperatures in the melted mass are readily maintained by controlling the supply of air and fuel through the tubes L and in like manner the proper proportions of the rei active agents supplied to the matte is controlled.

It will now be seen that by means of my process any suitable or necessary substances may be readily incorporated into a sulphide matte to.

effect separation of impurities and the resultant recovery of the metal.

After treating the matte until the desired separation or conversion has taken place, the slag is removed and the metal is drained off in the usual manner; and as required.

I claim:

1. The method of treating liquid matte, consisting in confining the matte in such manner as to separate the metal content thereof by gravity from the slag content and form a mass of liquid metals at the bottom of the mass and lighter constituents at the top of the mass and also form a body of slag floating on the surface of the lighter portion of the mass, and introducing downwardly into the lighter portion of the mass and at a point below the body of slag and above the liquid metals, a stream of air together with comminuted solids containing silica together with a granular combustible material having metallic constituents.

2. The method of treating molten matte, consisting in introducing into molten matte from and at a point beneath the slag zone of the molten matte, a stream composed of air, a finely divided fuel, metallic particles, and'silicious material.

3. The method of treating molten matte, which consists in introducing into molten matte from and at a point beneath the slag zone and above the molten metal zone of said molten matte, a stream composed of air, a fuel, metallic substances, and silicious material.

4. The method of treating molten matte, which consists in introducing in a downward direction into molten matte from a point beneath the slag zone and without penetrating the molten metal zone of the molten matte, air, a combustible substance having metallic constituents, and silicious material.

THOMAS M. KEKICH. 

